MLB Player News

Chang went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two total RBI in Wednesday's win over the Royals.

Chang entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and knotted the score with a solo shot to left field. He stayed in the contest and delivered again in the 11th, belting a double to bring home the final run of the game. The 26-year-old has flashed his power of late, mashing four homers over his past five games. Over that span, he also has three doubles, seven RBI and only one strikeout across 16 at-bats.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over Baltimore.

The shortstop finished August on a six-game hitting streak, and he made it seven with a knock in Wednesday's contest. He's gone 10-for-29 (.345) in that span. Bichette continues to blend power and speed for Toronto, as he has 21 each of home runs and stolen bases this year. He's added 81 RBI, 98 runs scored and a .286/.336/.455 slash line through 129 contests.

Franco went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.

The rookie took Chris Sale deep in the fourth inning, driving in teammate Nelson Cruz in the process. Franco has now registered at least one hit in five consecutive games and in 14 of his last 15 contests. The hot-hitting shortstop has raised his batting average from .238 to .277 since Aug. 14, compiling 10 extra-base hits and 13 RBI during that span.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Bogaerts has been asymptomatic since testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Bogaerts was pulled early in Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Rays after the Red Sox received word he became the latest player on the roster to have contracted the virus. Fortunately, Bogaerts looks to be faring better in his recovery from the ailment than some of Boston's other infected players, but he'll still need to complete a quarantine period before he's eligible to rejoin the team for workouts. With all of Bogaerts, Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo and Yairo Munoz on the COVID-19 injured list, Danny Santana, Jonathan Arauz and Jack Lopez are expected to serve as Boston's primary options at the two middle-infield spots until at least one of four inactive players returns.

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Smith's streak of six consecutive starts comes to an end, as Breyvic Valera checks in for him at third base. The rookie Smith went 2-for-13 with a solo home run and three walks over that six-game stretch, but he may need to raise his performance in his subsequent starts to avoid moving into more of a timeshare at the position with Valera.

Jimenez (undisclosed) returned from Low-A Dunedin's 7-day injured list Tuesday and finished 1-for-2 with a solo home run, three walks and two additional runs in the affiliate's 16-6 win over Palm Beach.

The 20-year-old infielder was out of commission for about a month and a half with the unspecified injury. Through 39 games on the season at Low-A, Jimenez is getting on base at a prolific .449 clip while striking out in only 13.6 percent of his plate appearances.

Mondesi (oblique), who will serve as the Royals' designated hitter in his return from the 10-day injured list Wednesday against Cleveland, is expected to see most of his starts at DH or third base for the remainder of the season, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Nicky Lopez has thrived as Kansas City's everyday shortstop while Mondesi has been on the shelf for the past two-plus months, and manager Mike Matheny isn't keen on moving the former off the position and potentially disrupting his rhythm while he's in the midst of the best run of his MLB career. Considering Mondesi had been an above-average defender at shortstop, he should hold his own while moving to a position that requires less range. For fantasy purposes, the biggest questions for Mondesi are whether he's able to pick up enough starts at the hot corner to gain eligibility at the position heading into 2021, and how frequently he'll run in September after contending with myriad lower-body injuries this season. Given how often he's been banged up this season, counting on Mondesi to deliver another September to remember -- he slashed .356/.408/.667 with six home runs and 16 steals in the final month of 2020 -- may be wishful thinking.

Fletcher went 1-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases and a run in a victory over the Yankees on Tuesday.

The infielder led off the fourth inning with a single to right field and proceeded to steal both second and third base before coming home on a Jared Walsh homer. Fletcher has been running in spurts this season -- he entered Tuesday without a theft in his previous 14 games, but prior to that stretch he logged six steals across 12 contests. Overall, Fletcher has swiped 13 bags this season, equaling his cumulative total over the first three campaigns (283 games) of his career.

The Royals reinstated Mondesi (oblique) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's game against Cleveland.

The Royals have yet to release their lineup for Wednesday's game, but it's expected to include Mondesi for the first time since June 20. According to Josh Klingler of 610 Sports Kansas City, manager Mike Matheny said Mondesi would be deployed as a designated hitter in his first few games back from the IL before evaluating him for a return to an everyday role in the infield. Mondesi was highly productive in the 10 games he's played this season for the Royals with four home runs, one stolen base and a .361 batting average, but given the multiple lower-body injuries he's experienced with in recent months, he could get more frequent days off and run more conservatively on the bases throughout September.

Anderson was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Wednesday, retroactive to Aug. 29.

Anderson had dealt with recurring leg soreness recently and was forced to miss the last two games as a result, and he'll now be placed on the 10-day IL after he was diagnosed with a hamstring strain. Manager Tony La Russa initially downplayed the severity of the shortstop's injury, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him return following a brief absence. However, Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick and Romy Gonzalez are in line for playing time at shortstop in Anderson's absence.